Sunil Darshan's Ek Rishtaa presents the ultimate big wealthy Indian family with all its ups and downs and their struggle in times of happiness and in times of hardship, The movie is quite watchable for the most part but its execution is at times overdone although it's more realistic and not as melodramatic as that same year's Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, which dealt with a similar subject, though the latter is definitely a better film. Just like K3G, Ek Rishtaa is primarily centred around the relationship of a father and his eldest son, their conflict of minds, resulting dispute and ultimate reconcilement, only that here the problems begin more because of conspiracies and misunderstandings. The movie shows how domestic peace is destroyed with the entrance of new members into the family, but the better part of the film shows how the family reunites and everything is settled when turbulent times of crisis seem so disruptive that they bring them together before it's too late. Some of the film's dialogues are very good but some are very theatrical and the same can be said about the proceedings.
Two of the biggest pluses of the movie are the music, composed by Nadeem-Shravan, and the multi-starred cast. My favourite songs in the movie are "Mohabbat Ne Mohabbat Ko" and "Ek Dil Hai" which are melodious and beautifully shot. Where acting goes, Amitabh Bachchan is excellent as the proud father, and Raakhee does very well as his supportive wife in a role that finally does not require her to lose her mental sanity. Akshay Kumar gets a very good role and he plays it with evident dedication and sincerity. I never saw him taking a role so seriously and he is very good in many parts, though sometimes he is a bit let down by the script. Karisma Kapoor is okay but in some scenes she totally overacts. The scenes in which she asks her husband not to return home was quite ridiculous because I could not see the logic behind them. Juhi Chawla is generally credible but I really wondered why a woman would remain with a husband who destroyed her family. Mohnish Bahl is average in a negative role and the rest of the cast are mostly so-so.
All in all, Ek Rishtaa is a generally watchable movie despite its flaws. It is nowhere a great film, and its depiction makes it look rather dated and reminiscent of those family films of the 1960, but I recommend you to watch it for the songs, for some of the performances, particularly Bachchan and Kumar's working chemistry, and for its message which conveys the importance of unity and togetherness. This movie, along with Jaanwar, is the best of Sunil Darshan, who is otherwise known for his abysmal movies.
